Sorry if people post links to this on a periodic basis, but I've only just started seriously thinking about practicalities like nappies so don't visit this forum much! Anyway, just stumbled across this webpage which details the cost of using disposables vs re-useables and found it very useful:

http://www.wen.org.uk/nappies/cost_comparison.htm

For those who can't be bothered with reading it all, the gist of it is that over a time span of 2.5 years:

- the average cost of using disposables is £923
- the average cost of using reusable terries is £183
- the average cost of using reusable shaped nappies is £359

The calculations for reusables include initial cost of nappies, washing powder & elec, and is based on 6 changes a day.

I know I'm a geek but I thought this was great!

25+4

I've not seen that before, I've seen the totals but often wondered how accurate they were so it was really intresting to see how it was worked out, very glad my two are in reusables!!

sounds great! i'm still waiting for my trial pack to arrive to help me decide which reusables to use, i tried kooshies as they are stocked in my local tesco's but found they were far to thick on my 6 weeks old! would be ok at night i guess but looked really silly!

What did you ladies do about stocking up on nappies before your little ones arrived? I would like to try a few different brands/types like you say, lisajoy, but obviously that would mean waiting until the baby is here.... did you have a few disposables on hand?

25+5

Hi, I had my terries ready before giving birth but had disposables in for the first few weeks as I didn't intend on using washables for the first few weeks because as it was my first bb I thought I'd have enough new things to deal with & didn't want to be washing nappies too...good job really as when we tried the terries we discovered how crap Mothercare plastic pants were & their small size are way too big & gape at the legs so BF poo would have exploded everywhere! So had to go out & buy Boots plastic pants & some wraps then I was fine.

I was lucky in the fact that my hubby's aunty works in a charity shop & a council worker donated a sample box of nappies which she put back for me to buy - she thought they were used (as they were dusty) & only charged me £5 but when I went through the box they were actually all new & I ended up with a tots bot, Bambino Mio & loads of others to try too!

This time around I will be using washables from as soon as I get home as I'm a dab hand with them now & the disposables leaked anyway!
xxx

Pinktoothbrush try these sites for nappy info!! www.babykind.co.uk
www.kittykins.co.uk and www.twinkleontheweb.co.uk all are ran by people with children so all nappies have been trialed and tested before they have been put on the sites.

Saw your message in the other post about bambino mio's and personally although I haven't tried them or Kushies I would stay away from both, they work for some people but they don't work for an awful lot more. The best cloth nappies you can get are the ones listed on the sites above and not the ones in the shops.

6 changes a day! if cole only needed 6 changes a day i'd be rich! lol!

always nice to know that i'm saving money using reusables even if i don't use them part time

I bought a whole bunch of different reusables off ebay when pregnant (just the bargain ones) so i could try them and now i'm on size 2's i'm just buying the ones I like best. Definately worth trying several types - especially when babies are small.. I found that most of my size 1's were too bulky when cole was small but a couple were ok. I didn't even bother with reusables till cole was 4 weeks old - you have enough to do with a new baby without making extra washing!

Thanks for the words of advice and useful links, ladies (another one to add to the "Bean" folder in my Favourites!). I think buying one of everything cheap off eBay to experiment with is a great idea. Also have now more-or-less decided to use disposables until I've got myself sorted out and gained a bit of confidence with handling a baby generally - this is my first, eek.

How many changes do you do a day, then, kia?

26 weeks today

Depends whether he's in reusables or disposables but 10 would be more like it! So far today he's had 3 changes I think (hubby is off work and got up with him first so dunno if he changed him downstairs) and he'll probably need another change before we go out to bounce&rhyme. I think we do change him a lot more than some people change their lo's but he's a fussy boy and doesn't like being in a wet nappy - I'm hoping that'll help with potty training though!!

Definately a good idea to stick with disposables at first cause its one less thing to worry about!! Even if you use reusables full time its always worth having some disposables spare for if you can't be bothered to wash or something happens. Think Cole will be in disposables till we get a new washer seeing as mine has started to play silly bugger!!

Personally, for new babies I found diddy diapers and little kiwi flap nappies best for not drowning small bums- both came cheap off ebay! Have you tried your local council to see if theyd o grants? Mine sent me £45 and also a list of nappy stockists - lots of which were work at home mums who use reusables so they can advise you well, and there were also some that did rentable trial packs so that could be a cheaper and less faffy way of trialing nappies. I thought about doing that but didn't fancy using stuff another baby had used....but i'm really fussy about 2nd hand stuff!

hey,

I had dispoables ready as I had not intended to use reausables. I would recommend that you use reausables to begin with - I'm a first time mum (lo 6 1/2 weeks now) and although I want to change over now it was definatly easier to use them for first few weeks - the last thing you want to think about is washing nappies and working out which brand is best!

I had a collection of nappies from going for the offers in different stores where you have to buy nappies to get a free pack - tescos, boots and sainsburies! then you get more for your money! and small handy bits for your change bag!

look at this site for info on diff council offers https://www.nappytrialservice.co.uk/content/view/1/98/ in the forum section. My trial set you can get for £25 as a surrey person arrived this am, will let you know what I think of it later!....................

oh and.................

6 nappies.....................i agree that this is far too low! my lo also doesn't like sitting in her nappy if it is slightly wet! I've never counted how many in a day she gets through but yes, 10 is far more like it!

just reading info that came with nappy trial pack and need to wash them 2-3 times before rying them.......................luckily it also says that you dont have to dry them inbetween!

Think the 6 changes thing was just an average, because it's more when they're small and fewer when they're bigger.

Have already checked out council grants, trials etc. - my council has tons of stuff on reusables and how great it is to be eco-friendly (save them money, more like) but doesn't actually put its money where its mouth is and offer any kind of incentive. Think I might pen a letter about this - I don't expect it will have much effect but if enough people do it....

26 weeks

LOL - Lisajoy i never realised i could just wash but not dry my nappies before use - i washed and dried them about 3 times first d'oh!!!

I agree with much of what's been said Pinktoothbrush, but I'd add that, when I started trying out dif nappies I tried just one or maybe another each day. I also tried to do them at the same time each day (usually towards the end of the day) so you can compare them for absorbancy. It took me a while to get used to the bulkiness, so be prepared for that! (I laugh and tell people Matthew has a Beyonce bum!!!!) Compared to disps, they will be bulky , but i found pockets to be the slimmest. Oh, if you have a boy, i found tesco and sainsbury trousers good cos they are big in the bum which is good for the bulkier nappy (some trousers are just too slim!) Their vests are also bigger (to go over the nappy) and wooolies ladybird ones are good too. I just use the middle popper on his vests to stretch over the nappy, but some people use vest extenders. His vests have stretched but as they're only cheap, and just vests after all, it doesn't bother me.

I started trying Matthew in washables at abotu 3 months (i had a bit of PND so had other things on my mind before that) but it took until about 4.5m til i got settled into them. I now use bumgenius pockets, and i think the newer version (V3) is much improved compared to my V2. Mostly happy with them. I use an eco disp when he naps as he pees a lot then and he sleeps on his tum and we often got leaks then. I also use these if we're out for long. I use a Pampers Babydry at night as he sleeps so well i didn't want to disturb that.

I only use about 4 of my nappies in a day but i have the fleece insert and a hemp insert. He does get a bit wet towards the end of the day/his last nappy, but it's usually so close to bath time that i think it's a bit of a waste to use a fresh nappy (am i a bad mother?!!!) (His clothes get washed after one day) Oh, and i use one eco disp too.

HTH
Juliette
PS Thanks for the info on the money saving - made me feel pleased!